Oh man, if we could snag Purke and Tate in later rounds I’d be pretty jazzed.

Doug

klaw has tate going to the pads at 3 now

pat

bah, my insider ran out I didn’t see that, thanks.

http://theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel

I guess that even if they were available, this would depend on what the draft budget is.

ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops

I don’t believe in the draft budget until I see it. The Yankees will not let a great player slip because of a set budget.

Doug

but will they let a great player slip because of signability concerns. remember, if they can’t sign their 1st rounder this year, it’s gone

ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops

Sure, that’s possible. The agent of a good HS player could really milk the Yankees in such a situation, saying: “Pay x million $ or he is going to college” knowing the Yankees don’t have a lot of leverage. The same thing could happen with the other comp. pick.

Doug

like purke

ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops

And a lot of other guys.

I’m unsure about what to do here. Of course I want the best player available but no first-rounder at all would really suck.

Doug

yup, it’s a tough spot. we definitely have to sign our 1st rounder this year

Chris

There is a downside to the player because if they do not sign, they won’t be eligible for the draft for another 3 years. How big an impact that is depends on the player, but it’s not like they can just name a price and have no downside if the Yankees walk away.

Reggie C.

Me neither. But Cash and Opp must really want to sign this year’s 1st rounder without hassles. Its not totally out of the realm of possibility that Tate or Purke could still be around when we next pick. IF we pass again, then there’s definitely a budget in place.

Doug

or we’re just concerned about not being able to sign the guy and losing the pick

pat

Eh, pardon my french, but budget my ass. I don’t beleive for one second the Yankees are going to scrimp on taking elite high upside talent because of a few million bucks. I really just don’t see it happening. I see smoke being blown up our butts so in the event we do take a boatload of prep guys D OPP is on record saying we *might* have a budget and they can’t hold us over a barrel.
We just committed like 400 million to a few guys in FA, and now we’re gonna cut back in the one area our financial superiority can be put to use a hundred times more efficiently? I just don’t see it happening dude.

http://theyankeeuniverse.com Moshe Mandel

Well, assuming that the Yankees do have a limit somewhere, I would say the fact that they just spent 400 million suggests that they may be reaching their ceiling. I’m not talking about our first round guy, but dont you think it is possible that the Yankees stay away from some of the high priced guys in the later rounds?

pat

Eh, I honestly don’t, Moshe. If the Yanks are indeed worried about finances and feel the need for a draft budget, what does that say about all the other teams? We’re still leading the league in attendance, we’re still comparatively making much more money than everybody else. If anything in this time of hesitancy and economic problems they should really make a killing.

Cashman and Opp must really want to sign this year’s 1st round selection. Totally understandable. Maybe Heathcott is a reach, but he’s the kind of positional player we’re lacking anyways and his writeup at least tells us he’s got grit and Texas swagger to his game…

Scheppers out of the 1st?? I thought he was hitting 98 last month?? What happened?

Doug

klaw says it’s medicals + cost. he’s been looking for a bonus well over slot since last may.

His writeup at least tells us he’s got grit and Texas swagger to his game…

Roger Clemens’s hot testicles FTW!!!!!

Chris

I thought Purke was pretty highly rated, why does KLaw have him slipping so much?

pat

He wants upwards of 3 mil to sign.

whozat

One can only assume signability concerns. The thing is, once you fall out of the first round, you can slip a LONG way. A lot of teams can’t afford to sign you, and the teams that can may bet that no one else will, so they can get you in a later round. They still have to pay you, but they got more value with their higher picks (maybe) by waiting to pick you til later.

Doug

and case in point, i’ve read that if the pads don’t take tate at 3, he may slip rounds, not picks

CountryClub

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Yanks have to be careful with their 2nd round pick too, correct? So they have to make sure both players will sign. Or be willing to pay whatever it takes.

Reggie C.

Exactly. 29 and 76 are comp picks for failing to sign Cole and Bittle. If we strikeout again with those selections, there’s no comp in the 2010 draft.

That’s why i’m actually okay (for today) if the Yanks pick Heathcott at 29, but then roll the dice with #76 on Purke or Tate. Of course, if there’s a budget, we’ll just ignore those guys altogether.

But if Purke and Tate slide to #76, don’t you think they’d slide at least to #135 and #165?

I mean, several of the late round signability guys we’ve gotten, like AJax, Melancon, Betances, etc., they went in the 8th and 9th rounds. We may press our luck and let them slip another round or two, and take two other upside guys with smaller bonus demands at #29 and #76.

Arman Tamzarian

Has a large bonus say 2-3 million ever been handed out to someone outside of the first round?

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

The Sox gave Ryan Westmoreland $2M last year as a 4th or 5th rounder. The Royals gave Tim Melville ~$1.6M late too.

Bonuses that large are rare in general, especially after the first round. $1.5M is a HUGE bonus.

Doug

what’d we give betances a couple of years back? wasn’t it pretty big?

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

$1M. Suttle got $1.3M in the 4th round.

Reggie C.

is this ryan westmoreland kid any good? and if so, why didn’t we get him?

http://www.theyankeeuniverse.com/ Eric

He’s been hurt so he hasn’t played this year. He’s a talented, 5-tool type player, but he was a New England kid who apparently would only sign with the Red Sox.

sic

Hey Mike,

On a scale of 1-10, how happy would you be with Heathcott in the first round? Would you rather see us get him or pop Purke?

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

I’d be happy with it, an 8 I guess. I’d prefer Purke because he’s better, but Heathcott is no slouch. Premium athlete and a potential five tool stud a premium up the middle position, can’t argue with that pick.

Doug

and, mike, you’d take purke over scheppers and tate as well?

http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa

Yeah, definitely Tate. Probably over Scheppers too.

Doug

so it sounds like purke’s your guy. is there anyone you’d take over him? within reason, of course… mr. strasburg’s off limits

Reggie C.

Any mention of Kyle Gibson’s stock possibly falling? His FB was supposedly in the 82-86 range the other night.

V

Could you guys see Purke and/or Scheppers slipping to the 4th and beyond if they’re looking for $3M+?

Doug

klaw has gibson still going to the d’backs at 17, but he did mention his lack of velocity, saying “There’s a chance he doesn’t go in the first round if his medicals aren’t spotless”

http://bronxbaseballdaily.com Matt ACTY/BBD

Slade Heathcott definitely doesn’t sound like a real name.

But seriously, reading his little profile on the MLB site, I do like him. I may prefer Purke, but wouldn’t be too upset with Heathcott.

I’d be pretty pissed if the Yanks took Heathcott with Purke, Scheppers, and Brothers still on the board.

Doug

fyi, klaw has brothers going 19 to the cards

Stryker

reaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllyyyyyyyy not impressed with brothers. AT ALL.

seems like the guy that’ll be a disappointment. live arm, bad control/command; from a small school.

Stryker

someone earlier in this thread brought up something i never thought of – $$$. do the yankees really have that much money to spend this year? they did, after all, spend over 400 million in the off season. can they really afford to throw money at signability guys in later rounds like everyone assumes they will?

K.B.D.

I don’t know that they spent 400 million this off-season. They committed to 400 million over the next 5-8 years. It’s not like they had to pay that out this year. I don’t think money is going to preclude the Yanks from signing a great player. It’s something they can worry about later.

ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops

Beat me to it.

ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops

No, they did not “spend” over 400 million in the offseason. They signed contracts worth that amount, but that money is due in the next 5 to 8 years, so they should have enough available for the draft. The question is not if they “can” spend this money but if they “want”.

Chris

You’re looking at $10-15M at most for the draft – that’s basically a rounding error on their overall budget.

Ari

I’m sure you guys will see this on your own, but it looks like jesus montero is making the move to double A (according to mike ashmore and pete abe).

Doug

yeah, heard about it last nite on here. good move as he was mashing HiA pitching. just gotta somehow work on that D behind the plate.

I’d like to see a “fantasy” draft, where people do mock drafts and compare their own picks, as the years go by, with what the actual teams do.

I’d like to compare the best drafting team (gotta be the Red Sox, right, I mean they ARE the smartest, best run, most American, friendly, happy, intelligent, sportsmanlike, handsome, thrifty, punctual, hygienic organization in all of sport, right?)with a mock draft using the dartboard method.

Reading about the baseball draft: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

pat

then don’t read the articles about the draft?

Mike HC

I enjoy reading about the baseball draft. The NFL and NBA drafts are so over covered, while the MLB draft is barely mentioned. It will one day be considered a much bigger deal than it currently is. I can also evaluate NFL and NBA talent myself, many times due to the fact that those college sports are on TV all the time. With baseball, I never really get to see them play, so reading about these players is the only way to gain some knowledge.

Mike HC

If espn is the four-letter, that makes River Ave Blues the thirteen-letter. Good thing you guys, and A-Rod for that matter, aren’t superstitious.

younguns

Let’s talk about the sleepers for the 2009 baseball draft.

Let’s hear about those who are not “5-tool” blessed & play at a premium position such as SS or catcher but nevertheless can hit the snot out of the ball. For pitchers, does let’s hear from those who may not have Nolan Ryan-type fastballs but have an incredible “out” pitch such as is the case with Bittle, the kid we drafted, but did not sign last year.

Also, let’s hear the names of some Juco players. I’m not asking for the next Prince Albert, but Pujols Lite is more than acceptable.

Stryker

if you sort posts by the “draft” tag you can find a piece mike did about a month ago that profiles some JuCo guys.

JohnC

I’d be very happy if Heathcott was the pick. Even more estactic if Tate was taken in round 2

James K

Hypothetically, say we take Heathcott in the first round, Purke in the second, and Tate in the third (all of this being a dream scenario, of course), where do the Yankees go from there? Are there other players they see in the later rounds that other teams are shying away from, whether it be due to signability or medical questions?

It seems that though the early rounds are certainly very important, depth is built beyond the first few rounds. With the Yankees’ monetary advantages (despite the murmurs of budgets, something I’m not sold on), do they aim high as they have in the past, or move in a new direction?